


Choice is an Illusion

by theinsandoutsofcastiel



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26353348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinsandoutsofcastiel/pseuds/theinsandoutsofcastiel
Summary: Request: You’re so good at writing “bad guys who are really softies on the inside” I was wondering if you’d be willing to write one for Ivar the Boneless if you’re a part of the Viking fandom. I know you write mostly Supernatural and the Walking Dead, but fingers crossed that you like Vikings too! Maybe could it be a series where the reader is the daughter of someone powerful and has to choose between marrying Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Ivar for some reason? She winds up liking Ivar best and chooses him. Can there be fluff and maybe smut once she’s chosen him? I’ll let you fill in the details, I know it would be wonderful like all of your other stories! Lots of love <3 <3 <3
Relationships: Ivar (Vikings)/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This in no way follows the cannon of Vikings. I hope that’s okay, but I had a lot of fun writing this!

Being the only daughter of a king, you never expected to have a say in whom you would marry. You were always told that your marriage would be arranged in order to ensure the safety of your parent’s kingdom and its people, solidify alliances, and procure new opportunities. This fact was never something you enjoyed, but it was something you accepted because if there was one thing you loved, it was your kingdom and the people you would one day rule over.

You follow somberly behind your mother and father into the great hall of Kattegat, prepared to be presented to your soon to be husband. When you reach the front of the room, King Ragnar Lothbrook welcomes your parents to his kingdom and asks you to step forward. Your parents step to the side and allow you to present yourself to the king and queen of Kattegat. 

“My Lord, My Lady, I thank you for your hospitality and the opportunity to join your family,” you say as you had been instructed, “I hope you look upon me favorably and find me worthy of my future husband.” These aren’t the words you truly want to say, but you say them none-the-less in order to ensure the alliance with Kattegat isn’t ruined on account of first impressions.

“Come closer,” Queen Aslaug instructs. You do as asked, walking up to her throne and kneeling before her. She hooks a finger beneath your chin and raises you face in order to inspect you better. “Very beautiful,” Aslaug complements, “and a fierce shield maiden from what I’ve been told. You’ll make a fine wife for one of my sons.”

“Or Bjorn,” Ragnar adds. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” you say, confused, “What do you mean, one of your sons?” 

“Your parents brought you here to marry a Ragnarson,” Aslaug tells you, “and you will, but I’ve decided that the choice of which to marry will be left up to you.” 

“You will meet them at the feast tonight and make your decision within the week,” Ragnar tells you, “Do you agree?”

In a way, your marriage had still been arranged for you, but this unusual opportunity which had presented itself excites you and gives you hope that you might not be condemned to a hateful marriage as so many before you had been. 

“I agree,” you answer.

***

A thrall had been assigned to help you prepare for the feast. She draws you a bath and styles your hair before helping you into your finest dress. 

You walk through the streets of Kattegat, admiring the village, before finding your way to the great hall for the feast. The hall is filled with shouting and singing, most of the people there ignoring you as they enjoy the revelry. When Ragnar spots you, he leaves his wife’s side and comes to fetch you. 

“Come, meet my sons,” he instructs, leading you to the table where the Ragnarsons sit. “This is Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Ivar,” he introduces them one by one. Each man smiles and welcomes you as Ragnar introduces you to them, save for Ivar who greets you with a disinterested nod. 

Ragnar encourages you to sit with his sons and get to know them better as you enjoy the feast. You take a seat beside Bjorn as he leaves, ready to inspect your prospective husbands. 

“Welcome to Kattegat,” Ubbe says, “How do you find the village?”

“I like what I’ve seen so far,” you answer, “It’s not so different from my home; though to be honest, I haven’t seen very much of it yet." 

“Tomorrow I can show you the rest, if you’d like,” Ubbe offers.

“I would,” you reply.

"We hear you come from Vendil,” Bjorn comments, “I should like to travel there one day." 

"You should,” you encourage him, “It is very beautiful." 

"We also hear that you are a magnificent shield maiden,” Hvitserk complements, making you blush, “Perhaps you could demonstrate for us some time.”

“There are much better shield maidens than I, Lagertha is legendary, but I wouldn’t mind practicing with you all, if you wished,” you reply. 

You look to Ivar and wait for him to add to the conversation, but he doesn’t. He simply leans forward, placing his elbows on the table, and watches you with an intense blue stare. A smirk graces his lips and you can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking. You’d spent such a short time in Kattegat and yet you’d already been warned about Ivar the Boneless. 

The thrall who had helped you for the feast had described the Ragnarsons when you had asked. She described three favorably; but Ivar, he was described as cruel and heartless. The thrall warned you to stay away from him, lest he harm you in some way. Sitting here now, however, you can’t help but feel some sort of interest in the man staring back at you. 

Bjorn pulls you out of your thoughts by asking you about your travels and about your journey to Kattegat. You answer his questions, but even as you speak to the other Ragnarsons, you can’t help but return your attention to Ivar. 

***

The feast last night had afforded you the chance to get to know three of the Ragnarsons better, but Ivar is still a mystery. He’d said a few words here and there, but they weren’t really directed toward you. You wonder if he has no interest in you or if he is merely playing some game in order to garner your interest in him. If it’s the latter, it has certainly worked. 

Despite the warnings you’d been given, you wake early in the morning and dress yourself in comfortable clothing before heading out in search of Ivar. Much to your luck, you find him leaving the village headed toward the surrounding hills. You decide to follow him, keeping a safe distance behind as he uses his crutches to help him climb the hill. 

“Why are you following me, Princess?” he shouts back to you once you’re a good distance from the village, “Come to gawk at the cripple struggling to climb the hill?” He’d known of your presence without even looking to see if you were there. 

“We didn’t talk at the feast last night,” you point out as you quicken your pace to catch up to him, “I thought, perhaps, you were too shy to speak in front of your brothers and wanted to try speaking to you alone.”

“I am not shy,” Ivar bites back.

“Forgive me, you must simply be uninterested in me then,” you comment.

"I never said that,” he answers as he turns and sits on the hill, overlooking Kattegat. 

“I wouldn’t know, you haven’t said much of anything to me,” you comment, “May I sit with you?" 

"You can do as you like, Princess,” Ivar says by way of invitation, “Though I don’t understand why you’d waste your time on me." 

"Spending time getting to know a suitor is not a waste of time by my estimation,” you inform him as you sit beside him, “Especially when I am so lucky as to be given the chance to choose a husband for myself." 

"You are fated to marry a Ragnarson, the choice is simply an illusion,” Ivar tells you. 

“It may be, but it is an illusion I plan to take full advantage of,” you reply, “Why do you believe that my being here is a waste of my time?”

“You believe you have a choice in which of my brothers you will marry, but the choice has already been made,” Ivar says with a shrug, “Therefore, you are wasting both your time and mine, Princess.”

“If you know so much, which Ragnarson will I choose?” you question. 

“Bjorn will be your husband,” Ivar says matter of factly, “He is the eldest of Ragnar’s sons and is the heir to Kattegat. Marrying him will make you queen of both Kattegat and Vendil, in time. Your parents will encourage the match because Bjorn has the most to offer you. They will be happy, my father will be happy, Bjorn will be happy, you will be … satisfied in the knowledge that you did the best you could with your perceived ability to choose a husband for yourself.”

“You seem to have thought about this subject already, but you count you and your other brothers out too easily,” you remark, “and you obviously don’t know me very well if you think all I seek is to be queen of Kattegat. I’d rather be a good queen to one kingdom than a poor queen to two." 

"Are you saying you don’t plan on choosing Bjorn?” he questions. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure. One night and first impressions are not enough to deem a man worth marrying. For now, Bjorn strikes me as the adventurous type,” you comment, “Not that that is a bad thing, but I’m not sure it is good for my people to have a king who would leave on a whim to travel to lands that may not even exist. Besides, while he may discover new lands, he may also discover new wives and that is not the sort of marriage or alliance I want as future queen of Vendil.”

“You value loyalty,” Ivar comments, “as do I.”

“See, we have something in common,” you tell him, “Given time, we may discover other shared traits.“

“Just like first impressions, shared traits are not enough to base a marriage on,” he challenges. 

“Perhaps you are right, but the choice - illusion though it may be - is mine to make, is it not?” you question. 

“If you say so, Princess,” Ivar sighs, “but your parents probably wouldn’t like to hear you say it. If you choose to waste your time on a cripple, then so be it. I won’t stop you; but I don’t understand you. Why not spend time with the man you know you will select to be your husband?”

“How do you know I’m not doing exactly that?” you question in return. 

“Don’t mock me, Princess,” Ivar sneers, “I have been laughed at my entire life, I don’t need you to do the same. Go back to the village, I’m sure my brothers are looking for you.”

“I wasn’t trying to mock you,” you tell him, oddly hurt by the accusation, “I’d rather stay, but I’ll leave if that’s what you want.”

Ivar looks at you with a knitted brow as if he’s trying to figure you out. He finally smiles before looking away and shaking his head, clearly amused.

“You may stay, Princess,” Ivar says, “but if you do, you may not lie to me.”

“I won’t lie to you so long as you are truthful with me as well,” you respond.

Ivar continues to look out over Kattegat and nods, silently agreeing to your terms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: Hello, I didn’t realize you were a Viking fan. I loved your first Ivar fic and would love to see another one or a sequal to the first one if you’re up for it! I think you’re a great writer and would be amazing at giving Ivar the love he deserves. AND (from Ao3) Ohh this one is soooo beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing such wonderful story to life. Is there any chance of a multi chap/sequel? I would love to witness these two to fall in love with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Ivar being self deprecating

As soon as you returned to the village, your time was consumed by the other three Ragnarsons. Bjorn had taken you to the docks to examine the boats. He told you of all the adventures you could have together once you were married, elaborating on the lands he’d seen and wished to discover. Ubbe had shown you the rest of Kattegat. He walked you through the streets and bought you a necklace at the market as a gift. Hvitserk had taken you to the training grounds. He practiced sword fighting with you, each teaching the other new tricks. 

Each of the brothers was doing his best to show the others up, save for Ivar. He didn’t exaggerate his assets or belittle his brothers. He didn’t go out of his way to drag you around Kattegat or force you to watch as he showed off. Ivar kept to himself while his brothers were around and more often than not, he would wait for you to approach him. Though you tried to split your time fairly between the brothers for appearance’s sake, you enjoyed Ivar’s company most. You always enjoyed your time with him whether it was spent telling childhood stories, playing games of strategy, or simply sitting together by the fire in comfortable silence.

By your fourth day in Kattegat, meeting Ivar on the hill in the morning had become somewhat of a ritual. Today, you carry a basket of bread and fruit along with a flagon of mead. Ivar has beaten you there and he greets you with a bright smile as you join him. You wonder what you had said to him in the past four days that had changed his mood from brooding to something a little brighter.

“Good morning, Princess,” he greets you, eyeing the basket in your hands, “What have you brought?”

“Food,” you reply, “I thought we could break our fast together.”

Ivar takes the basket and flagon from you, allowing you to sit beside him. He peeks into the basket, examining what you’d brought him as you smooth out your dress. 

“You didn’t wish to eat in the great hall?” Ivar questions. 

“I need as much time away from your brothers as I can get,” you sigh, “They are constantly trying to gain my attention and it is exhausting.”

“Perhaps they see it as a game,” Ivar points out with a shrug, “Fighting for the same woman might be like a competition to them. Whoever wins gets to marry a princess.”

“I am not some prize to be won, Ivar,” you reply, pushing his shoulder gently. It’s the first time you’d touched him and you instantly regret the action. People in Kattegat had continually told you to be careful around Ivar the Boneless, and you aren’t sure how he’ll respond. You had meant the touch to be playful, but Ivar might not see it that way. Much to your relief, Ivar laughs. 

“I never said I see you that way,” he tells you, “I was only speculating on my brothers’ thoughts. We’re all competitive, but you’re right. You are more than just a mere trinket won in a raid.” Ivar picks a piece of bread from the basket and hands it to you. 

“Thank you,” you say softly as you take the food from him. A blush rises on your cheeks as your fingers brush his, the touch causing your heart to pound in your chest. You look away quickly, allowing your hair to fall and hide your face from Ivar. 

“Am I as exhausting as my brothers?” he asks you. 

“Not at all,” you reply, “You aren’t always chasing me down like they are.”

“Even if I tried, it wouldn’t be hard for you to escape a cripple,” Ivar says and laughs. You know he meant it as a joke, but you hate it. 

“I wish you wouldn’t call yourself that,” you tell him. 

“We promised to speak the truth to each other didn’t we?” Ivar points out as he begins eating his own piece of bread, “A cripple is what I am and that is what I will call myself if I choose. I don’t want your pity, Princess.” 

“You are so much more than that, Ivar,” you insist, “You don’t have my pity, you have my respect. You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for. I’ve only known you for four days, but I can see that. I wish you could too.“

Your comment stops Ivar in his tracks. The man who is usually full of witty retorts is lost for words. Even though your hair still hides your face from him, you can feel his gaze on you. You sit in silence for what seems like an eternity, trying too hard to focus on eating your bread, before Ivar finally reaches out toward you. He gently brushes your hair behind your ear, the initial touch making you jump; not out of fear, but shock that a man who had been described so cruelly could be so gentle. 

“What is it you see in me?” Ivar questions. His knuckles trace down your cheek before he hooks a finger beneath your chin and brings your gaze to his. 

“I see that you are brave and strong, stronger than you realize,” you begin slowly, “you are cunning, wise, and funny; and you have a way with words that holds power over others. You are passionate and hold firmly to your beliefs; and when someone underestimates you, you prove them wrong.” 

Ivar doesn’t speak. He simply stares at you, head tilted to the side. His hand moves to cup your cheek and you lean into the touch. 

"You, Y/N, are one of the few people who make this world a better place,” Ivar finally says. 

You aren’t sure how to respond. Instead, you return to silence, watching each other. For a moment you think he might pull you in for a kiss, but it doesn’t happen. Ivar huffs a laugh and shakes his head, almost as if he’s angry with himself. He lets his hand fall from your cheek and you instantly miss his touch. You watch as he turns his attention back to his meal and looks out over Kattegat again.

Without thinking, you decide to move the basket out of the way and move closer to Ivar. His body tenses and he holds his breath as you rest your head against his shoulder but he doesn’t try to move or push you away. You can tell he’s nervous, though you’d never point it out to him or anyone else for that matter.

In an attempt to reassure him, you take his hand in yours, fingers interlaced, and squeeze gently. It takes a moment before he looks down at his hand in yours and he finally begins to breathe again, the breaths quick and shallow. Ivar seems shocked by your willingness to be so close to him, but he finally eases into the situation. He tentatively wraps his arm around you and holds you closer before resting his head against yours. 

“I wish things could stay like this forever,” Ivar whispers as he lifts your hand and presses a kiss to your knuckles. 

“So do I,” you whisper in reply.

You don’t have to announce your choice for three more days, but you’ve already made your decision. Ivar is the Ragnarson you want to marry.


End file.
